Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Performance Is there a chance my ecu could be screwed?

Dude, if you get it back and it still runs like poo, here is another test for ya:

1. Remove the pos and neg cables from the batt
2. Replace the intake with the stock.
3. Replace pos and neg cables and let car run for AT LEAST
15 minutes before you drive it..or until the radiator
fan turns on.
Drive it, is it running normally? If it is, you have solved it...or opened another can of worms. I am thinking that you will have the same problems once you install the stock intake.

Next thang to do:
Buy Berryman's B-12 Chemtool

1. Remove the pos and neg cables from the batt
2. Remove the MAF and look to see if you have a dark film on
the coils or the the open hole that you will see.
3. Spray the chemtool on the open coils that you
see...being careful not to apply unusual force.
4. Use a fan on a low setting using room temp and let it dry
completely. Give it about 30 minutes.
5. Check your MAF again and see if it needs to be sprayed
again.
6. If it looks good reinstall it into the factory intake
FIRST and see if you have fixed the problem.
7. If you have, great, reinstall your intake tube. If not,
you may need a new MAF.


What can and has happened before is that the MAF posts and the coils get so dirty that they can no longer calibrate the intake air component to mix properly and in some instances, it can lead to the MAF calibration being so bad off that it doesn't function correctly no matter how many times you clean it. Unfortunatly, with an open element filter like that on a CAI, it gets dirtier faster. Other things to consider. The MAF is kinda fragile so if you have banged it around any, you could have sent the calibration out of whack so that may lead to or be a problem. I have had this happen twice before so I would suspect that to be an issue....BUT...where the CEL is coming from...good question...you should get that code pulled if it shows again.

Hope that helps some
Rich

Allllright here we go. I've been trying to solve this for at least 3 months now.

After I got my intake on it ran like crap, just the idle. It idles in gear at about 500 and out of gear, 700 to 750. When cold and trying to warm up she likes to stall. once warm she is good. EVERY NOW AND THEN.... she stall. very seldom. Now I'm just thinking about getting a new iac motor. I even moved my IAT sensor all the way to the T/B by drilling a hole in the 90 degree bend and tapping it out. I re wired it and used butt connectors. It's still the same. I even reset the computer like 20 times. Still the same. I guess i'll just have to break down and put the old system back on and see how that goes.

Just for a quick note. While down south in South Alabama in mid-april, outside temp was like 90, my CAI came off while driving. The first thing I notice is that while coming to a redlight she revved at 1,000 rpm, hold to stand on the brakes. Second, she goes dead. Crank her up and she dies again. I had to give her gas now to keep her going.

Pull into a parking lot and investigate. Lo and behold, the [censored] came off and the 90 degree bend. I put it back on EXTRA tight. Car is still running rough as hell (and still stalling). So I reset the computer by pullin number 4 and 12 (i think) and leaving her alone for 20 minutes. 20 minutes later, cranks right up and I go a do a little driving so the computer can get used to me again.

Long story short, resetting the computer works.

well I ended up spending $360 to get it fixed...ripped off but my car works now.

what happened was the intake was grindin up against the intake sensor wires and they were shorting out...thats why it was running like crap and why it would stall sometimes for no reason.

so they gave me a new maf (i think, or atleast the plug on top is new) and they got rid of the old wires...everything works fine now.